Chair



E. C. PHELPS Aug. 20, 1957 CHAIR Filed Dec. 9, 1955 INVENTOR.

E LZA c. DHELDS CHAlR Elza C. Phelps, Philadelphia, Pa. Application December 9, 1955, Serial No. 552,046 2 Claims. (Cl. 155-2) This invention relates generally to chairs, and more particularly has reference to a chair especially adapted for use in viewing television programs, etc, the chair being so designed as to permit its use by three persons at one time, by removal of a hassock-like member from the seat portion, with said use by a plurality of individuals being possible despite the fact that the chair is of a size and width no greater, generally speaking, than those of a conventional chair not having the features of the invention.

The desirability for furniture which can be used for seating a number of individuals if necessary is of course well appreciated, and this is particularly true when the furniture must be placed in relatively cramped or confined surroundings. It is often difficult to locate a number of chairs in position such that persons seated therein can all have a proper view of a television program, for example, and the chair constituting the present invention eliminates this disadvantage of conventional seating arrangements.

Summarized briefly, the chair constituting the present invention is of the upholstered or overstuffed type, having a back and a seat portion, with the seat portion having a removable part which, when removed, provides a hassock disposable forwardly from the main part of the chair, the removal of said hassock leaving in the seat portion a recessed part that constitutes an additional part of the chair on which one may be seated.

The main objects of the present invention are:

To provide a convertible chair which can be used either as a wholly conventional, overstuffed chair or alternatively, as a chair and hassock, with the removal of the hassock leaving a recessed seat part usable independently of the unrecessed adjacent portions of the seat for permitting seating of an individual;

To permit manufacture of the chair at little increase in cost above that required for conventional chairs not having the features of the invention; and

To provide a chair as described which will be attractively designed, and which will have a generally conventional appearance when the hassock is not in place in the seat portion.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair formed according to the present invention in which portions have been broken away;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 in which the hassock member has been removed; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The reference number it generally designates a chair constituting the present invention. The chair includes a horizontally disposed, generally rectangular leg frame 12, including a back cross bar 13, and fixedly secured ZfihBihS Patented Aug. 2%, 1957 ice to and depending from the several corners of the leg frame are corner legs 14.

Enclosing the leg frame is a rectangular, open-bottom frame 16, lying in a horizontal plane, the side portions of the bottom frame being integral or otherwise made rigid with upwardly projecting side members 18 of a back frame, the member 18 preferably having enlargements 20 at their upper ends.

The back frame is suitably padded as at 22 and covered with upholstery 24, the upper portion 26 of the padding being enlarged and proportioned as to transverse area correspondingly to the enlargements 20 of the sides 18 of the back frame. Reinforcing the back frame transversely is at least one cross bar 28 extending between the side frames 18.

A main seat cushion has been generally designated at 30, and is of substantial depth, said main seat cushion including padding 32 which can be of any desired type, such as foam rubber, etc. The main seat cushion includes a fiat, rigidly constituted bottom plate 34 the outer configuration of which matches that of the seat cushion, and the marginal part of the bottom plate is supported upon the leg frame. Upholstery covering material 36 encloses the padding 32, and formed in the front portion of the main seat cushion is a deep, wide recess 38, the bottom plate 34 providing a bottom for said recess and being covered, within the recess, with tufted padding 40.

The recess opens upon the front surface of the main seat cushion, medially between the opposite sides of said main cushion, so that the main cushion has portions of substantial width at opposite sides of the recess, supporting the legs of a person seated upon the main seat cushion.

An auxiliary seat cushion generally designated at 42 normally fills the recess 38, and includes padding 44 covered with upholstery material 46 matching that of the main seat cushion. The removably, auxiliary seat cushion 42 has its top surface flush with the top surface of the main set cushion, and the front surface of the auxiliary cushion registers with the front surface of the main seat cushion as shown in Figure 1. However, the auxiliary seat cushion is of a depth slightly less than that of the main cushion, so as to permit the auxiliary cushion to be supported upon the padding 4%.

When the chair is in use in the conventional manner, it appears as in Figure l, and under these circumstances, has the appearance and characteristics of a wholly conventional, over-stuffed chair. If, however, it is desired to permit use of the chair by more than one person, as for example, when additional seating accommodations are needed for television viewing or for any other purpose, the auxiliary seat cushion 42 may be removed as shown in Figure 2, and placed in front of the main part of the chair to provide an additional seat for an individual. Another person may be seated in the padded recess 38, while still another person may be seated directly upon the seat cushion 30, with the legs of the last named person extending at opposite sides of the person seated in the recess 38. For example, a child may be seated in the recess 38, with an adult supported upon the main cushion, while another child may use the hassock member or auxiliary seat cushion 42. This permits the chair to be used by three different persons at the same time.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A chair comprising a horizontally disposed leg frame; a back frame projecting upwardly from the leg frame at one end thereof; a padded chair back carried by said back frame; a main seat cushion supported upon the leg frame and having a recess opening at the front of said main seat cushion, said recess extending substantially the full depth of the main seat cushion, said main seat cushion including a rigidly constituted bottom plate supported upon the leg frame and providing a bottom for the recess, whereby said recess may constitute an auxiliary seat; and an auxiliary seat cushion substantially completely filling and removably engaged in said recess, whereby on removal of the auxiliary cushion said auxiliary cushion may be used as a separate seat with the bottom of the recess providing a second seat and the main cushion providing the third seat.

2. A chair comprising a horizont lly disposed leg frame; a back frame projecting upwardly from the leg frame at one end thereof; a padded chair back carried by said back frame; a main seat cushion supported upon the leg frame and having a recess opening at the front of said main seat cushion, said recess extending substantially the full depth of the main seat cushion, said main seat cushion including a rigidly constituted bottom plate supported upon the leg frame and providing a bottom for the recess, whereby said recess may constitute an auxiliary seat; and an auxiliary seat cushion substantially completely filling and removably engaged in said recess, whereby on removal of the auxiliary cushion said auxiliary cushion may be used as a separate seat with the bottom of the recess providing a second seat and the main cushion providing the third seat, said main seat cushion including padding overlying the portion of the bottom plate that extends within the recess, the main seat cushion having leg supporting portions disposed at opposite sides of the recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 354,979 Hardenbergh Dec. 28, 1886 910,993 Dentz Ian. 26, 1909 2,046,645 Mason Euly 7, 1936 

